Always do this when you visit the hospital

3. Sanitize Your Hands

Nurses and other health care workers sanitize their hands dozens of times a shift. 

You should be no different. 

This is the most basic aspect of good health care. 

While I know that “wash your hands” sounds more like a grandmother’s advice than it does good care for the sick, dying, and grieving, good hand hygiene does more than prevent disease.

It communicates respect. 

It says to the person, “I value you enough to be sure I am not bringing in anything that could harm you further.”  

I spray the sanitizing foam onto my hands as I walk into a patient room. Then, I make sure I am still rubbing the solution through my fingers when I approach the patient. 

After all, I will certainly want to clean my hands on the way out. 

If the patient sees me using the sanitizer only when I walk out, what am I communicating to her? 

She may feel that I value my own health more than I value hers. 

Health care has a saying: “Clean hands in, clean hands out.” 

You should always do the same.